Matthew Scheidt: Trial delayed, attorney withdraws

Matthew Scheidt, the normally composed 18-year-old accused of posing as a physician assistant, trembled in court Tuesday as his private attorney withdrew from the case.

Scheidt wiped away tears as he awaited his appearance before Circuit Judge Jon Morgan, who later agreed to a defense request to postpone his trial.

Scheidt's case in Osceola had been set for trial March 19. Another pre-trial hearing is set for mid-May.

It's unclear if Scheidt's reaction in court today was related to losing his private attorney J. David Gentle.

He appeared nervous, breathing heavily and swallowing hard as Gentle tried to comfort him with a pat on the back. The teen's lips quivered as he looked toward the gallery where his mother sat sobbing.

Later, Gentle filed and was granted a motion to withdraw as Scheidt's attorney. Scheidt applied for a public defender and will appear in court Wednesday afternoon to have one assigned.

Gentle declined to comment on why he is no longer representing the teen. He statement this afternoon from his firm didn't provide an explanation.

"At this time, Longwell Gentle, P. A. no longer represents Matthew Scheidt in his ongoing case in Osceola County. We have worked closely with Matthew and we wish him the very best in the future. We will fully cooperate to make this a smooth transition to his new attorneys. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,'' the statement said.

No one from Scheidt's family answered questions about his case in court today.

Scheidt was also recently accused of posing as a cop in South Florida. He faces six felony charges for allegedly practicing medicine without a license last year.

At the time, Scheidt worked for a local group of surgeons and had not received advanced medical training, despite obtaining a badge identifying him as a physician assistant.

After he was released on bail following his hospital-related arrest, Scheidt was arrested in South Florida on Jan. 19 arrest for impersonating a police officer, carrying a concealed firearm and a carrying a concealed weapon.

Both arrests focused national attention on the teen impostor, who first got into trouble at age 13 for posing as a nurse at his hometown hospital, St. Cloud Regional Medical Center.

The sheriff's Explorer program later expelled him for violating its rules by wearing law=enforcement gear in public that might lead residents to believe he was acting in an official capacity, records show.

His bond in the Kissimmee case was revoked the same day as his arrest South Florida.

Over the weekend, court records show Scheidt had his first appearance before Circuit Judge John Kest on a third case.

The new charge of grand theft was filed Jan. 19 following his arrest in South Florida. It accuses Scheidt of stealing a Motorola police radio worth $3,500 from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

The radio was one of numerous pieces of what appeared to be police equipment seized from Scheidt by the Miami Beach Police Department after he is accused of identifying himself as an undercover police officer to a undercover police officer assigned to patrol South Beach, records show.